| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Light of Western Stars by Zane Grey: cowardly handful of riffraff outcasts from the border have hidden
in your house, more by accident than design. We'll let them go--
get rid of them without even a shot. If I didn't think so--well,
I'd be considerably worried. It would make a different state of
affairs."
"Stewart, you are wrong," she said.
He started, but his reply did not follow swiftly. The expression
of his eyes altered. Presently he spoke:
"How so?"
"I saw one of these bandits. I distinctly recognized him."
One long step brought him close to her.
The Light of Western Stars |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from New Arabian Nights by Robert Louis Stevenson: which he had just seated himself, and began examining the room,
with the stealth and passion of a cat. He weighed the gold flagons
in his hand, opened all the folios, and investigated the arms upon
the shield, and the stuff with which the seats were lined. He
raised the window curtains, and saw that the windows were set with
rich stained glass in figures, so far as he could see, of martial
import. Then he stood in the middle of the room, drew a long
breath, and retaining it with puffed cheeks, looked round and round
him, turning on his heels, as if to impress every feature of the
apartment on his memory.
"Seven pieces of plate," he said. "If there had been ten, I would
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Rape of Lucrece by William Shakespeare: Here feelingly she weeps Troy's painted woes:
For sorrow, like a heavy-hanging bell,
Once set on ringing, with his own weight goes;
Then little strength rings out the doleful knell:
So Lucrece set a-work sad tales doth tell
To pencill'd pensiveness and colour'd sorrow;
She lends them words, and she their looks doth borrow.
She throws her eyes about the painting round,
And whom she finds forlorn she doth lament:
At last she sees a wretched image bound,
That piteous looks to Phrygian shepherds lent:
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The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from The Secret Places of the Heart by H. G. Wells: "When V.V. gets going," she remarked, "she makes things come
alive."
Dr. Martineau hated to be addressed suddenly by strange
ladies. He started, and his face assumed the distressed
politeness of the moon at its full. "Your friend," he said,
"interested in archaeology? "
"Interested!" said the stouter lady. "Why! She's a fiend at
it. Ever since we came on Carnac. "
"You've visited Carnac?"
"That's where the bug bit her." said the stout lady with a
note of querulous humour. "Directly V.V. set eyes on Carnac,
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